Shared by David R. Gunderson
a cousin
Steve was the son of Evelyn (Madsen) and Charles Jacobsen of Mt. Pleasant.
Stephen
C. Jacobsen, Engineer, Roboticist and Biomedical Pioneer passed away
at 75.
C. Jacobsen, Engineer, Roboticist and Biomedical Pioneer passed away
at 75.
Jacobsen,
Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Utah, was
at the forefront of robotic and biomedical device design.
Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Utah, was
at the forefront of robotic and biomedical device design.
He
was the biomechanical engineer behind a number of firsts in medicine:
the first artificial heart implanted in a human, the first artificial
wearable kidney, and the Utah Arm, which allowed amputees to
precisely control an artificial arm with tiny twitches of a chest or
shoulder muscle.
was the biomechanical engineer behind a number of firsts in medicine:
the first artificial heart implanted in a human, the first artificial
wearable kidney, and the Utah Arm, which allowed amputees to
precisely control an artificial arm with tiny twitches of a chest or
shoulder muscle.
Like
Tony Stark, the inventor-entrepreneur in “Iron Man,” Jacobsen
often took on whimsical design challenges just for the fun of it. His
most successful company, Sarcos (now Raytheon-Sarcos), founded in
1983, built mechanized dinosaurs for the Universal Orlando “Jurassic
Park” ride and the animatronic pirates for the “Pirates of the
Caribbean” ride at Disney theme parks. His company was also
commissioned by Wet Design to engineer the robotic controllers for
the spectacular Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.
Tony Stark, the inventor-entrepreneur in “Iron Man,” Jacobsen
often took on whimsical design challenges just for the fun of it. His
most successful company, Sarcos (now Raytheon-Sarcos), founded in
1983, built mechanized dinosaurs for the Universal Orlando “Jurassic
Park” ride and the animatronic pirates for the “Pirates of the
Caribbean” ride at Disney theme parks. His company was also
commissioned by Wet Design to engineer the robotic controllers for
the spectacular Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.
“The
robot we built for Bellagio weighed 700,000 pounds with 125
individual robotic fountains that collectively had 1,130 motions that
were under control,” Jacobsen told a Salt
Lake Tribune
reporter in 2011.
robot we built for Bellagio weighed 700,000 pounds with 125
individual robotic fountains that collectively had 1,130 motions that
were under control,” Jacobsen told a Salt
Lake Tribune
reporter in 2011.
Jacobsen
assembled eclectic teams of engineers, prototype builders,
programmers and artists to dazzle military leaders with innovative
solutions for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
challenges. For remote surveillance in enemy territory, one team
designed a pole-climbing, robotic snake mounted with a spy camera.
But the invention that continues to receive the most YouTube love,
with well over a million views, is the Sarcos exoskeleton suit. This
wearable robot suit power-assists soldiers so that they can
repeatedly pick up heavy pallets of supplies without tiring. The
online videos of this technology were so impressive, that the
production artists for the “Iron Man” film visited Sarcos to get
ideas for the film.
assembled eclectic teams of engineers, prototype builders,
programmers and artists to dazzle military leaders with innovative
solutions for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
challenges. For remote surveillance in enemy territory, one team
designed a pole-climbing, robotic snake mounted with a spy camera.
But the invention that continues to receive the most YouTube love,
with well over a million views, is the Sarcos exoskeleton suit. This
wearable robot suit power-assists soldiers so that they can
repeatedly pick up heavy pallets of supplies without tiring. The
online videos of this technology were so impressive, that the
production artists for the “Iron Man” film visited Sarcos to get
ideas for the film.
“You’re
carrying yourself; the robotic suit carries the load,” Jacobsen
said in a 2010 interview.
carrying yourself; the robotic suit carries the load,” Jacobsen
said in a 2010 interview.
Jacobsen
was also a pioneer in the development of extremely small medical
devices and surgical tools. He designed micro-pumps for the wearable
drug delivery and blood-chemistry sensing. He refined wearable
monitoring systems for remotely assessing the location and
physiological state of soldiers in the field. He developed a surgical
guide wire and catheter that enables less invasive neurological
procedures. And he built prototypes of miniature cameras that could
be swallowed or inserted into a body to wirelessly transmit photos of
organs, bones, and other biological systems.
was also a pioneer in the development of extremely small medical
devices and surgical tools. He designed micro-pumps for the wearable
drug delivery and blood-chemistry sensing. He refined wearable
monitoring systems for remotely assessing the location and
physiological state of soldiers in the field. He developed a surgical
guide wire and catheter that enables less invasive neurological
procedures. And he built prototypes of miniature cameras that could
be swallowed or inserted into a body to wirelessly transmit photos of
organs, bones, and other biological systems.
Jacobsen
was born in Salt Lake City on July 15, 1940. His mother was an
elementary school teacher and his father was a commercial artist and
amateur inventor. Jacobsen grew up around tools and had a passion for
taking things apart to see how they worked.
was born in Salt Lake City on July 15, 1940. His mother was an
elementary school teacher and his father was a commercial artist and
amateur inventor. Jacobsen grew up around tools and had a passion for
taking things apart to see how they worked.
“As
a teenager, he completely disassembled an MG sports car in our
basement, then painstakingly put it back together again,” said his
sister, Charlyn Dalebout.
a teenager, he completely disassembled an MG sports car in our
basement, then painstakingly put it back together again,” said his
sister, Charlyn Dalebout.
Jacobsen
majored in mechanical engineering at the University of Utah, but at
the end of his junior year university administrators asked him to
leave because of poor grades and an unfortunate practical joke that
resulted in a large explosion in the engineering building.
majored in mechanical engineering at the University of Utah, but at
the end of his junior year university administrators asked him to
leave because of poor grades and an unfortunate practical joke that
resulted in a large explosion in the engineering building.
He
was given a second chance by Wayne Brown, Ph.D., former dean of
engineering, who called him into his office and said, “Steve, you
are the smartest kid I have ever had the privilege of teaching. If
you can keep a ‘B’ average, we’ll get you back into school and
get you a degree.”
was given a second chance by Wayne Brown, Ph.D., former dean of
engineering, who called him into his office and said, “Steve, you
are the smartest kid I have ever had the privilege of teaching. If
you can keep a ‘B’ average, we’ll get you back into school and
get you a degree.”
Jacobsen
graduated in 1970 and went on to get a masters degree under the
mentorship of surgeon Willem J. Kolff, M.D., and engineer-physician
Clifford Kwan-Gett, M.D. Both were doing pioneering work on
mechanical hearts and kidneys in a new division of artificial organs
at the University of Utah. Jacobsen did early prototyping on what
eventually became the Jarvik-7, the first artificial heart to be
successfully implanted in a human.
graduated in 1970 and went on to get a masters degree under the
mentorship of surgeon Willem J. Kolff, M.D., and engineer-physician
Clifford Kwan-Gett, M.D. Both were doing pioneering work on
mechanical hearts and kidneys in a new division of artificial organs
at the University of Utah. Jacobsen did early prototyping on what
eventually became the Jarvik-7, the first artificial heart to be
successfully implanted in a human.
“Steve
saw beauty in nature and in motion, especially in the motion of
mechanical devices,” Kwan-Gett said.
saw beauty in nature and in motion, especially in the motion of
mechanical devices,” Kwan-Gett said.
Jacobsen
was accepted into the engineering Ph.D. program at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) under the direction of Robert Mann,
Ph.D., the renowned engineer and rocket scientist who designed some
of the first electro-mechanical artificial limbs and prostheses. In
this lab Jacobsen learned the complex algorithms for robotic control
theory and how to apply them to body mechanics. He shared an office
and design ideas with Woodie Flowers, now an MIT professor emeritus
and the former host for the PBS television series “Scientific
American Frontiers.”
was accepted into the engineering Ph.D. program at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) under the direction of Robert Mann,
Ph.D., the renowned engineer and rocket scientist who designed some
of the first electro-mechanical artificial limbs and prostheses. In
this lab Jacobsen learned the complex algorithms for robotic control
theory and how to apply them to body mechanics. He shared an office
and design ideas with Woodie Flowers, now an MIT professor emeritus
and the former host for the PBS television series “Scientific
American Frontiers.”
“Steve
could see so many things at once. He saw parallels that crossed
domains. His limit pushing was infectious,” said Flowers.
could see so many things at once. He saw parallels that crossed
domains. His limit pushing was infectious,” said Flowers.
He
is survived by his wife, Lynn Jacobsen; his sister, Charlyn Dalebout;
and two children Peter Jacobsen and Genevieve Boyles; and two
grandchildren, Aiden and Avery Boyles.
is survived by his wife, Lynn Jacobsen; his sister, Charlyn Dalebout;
and two children Peter Jacobsen and Genevieve Boyles; and two
grandchildren, Aiden and Avery Boyles.
Jacobsen’s
impact has been recognized through many national and state awards. He
was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of
Medicine and the National Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. He
won the Leonardo Da Vinci Award from the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, the Pioneer of Robotics Award from the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Utah
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. In 2012, Jacobsen
received one of five “Most Prolific Inventor Awards” by the
University of Utah’s Technology Commercialization Office for having
more than 200 inventions. He was recently honored with the Utah
Genius Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the University of Utah
Innovation and Impact Award. He has held the rank of distinguished
professor in Mechanical Engineering since 1996, research professor
for the Department of Bioengineering since 1983 and research
professor for the Department of Computer Science since 1992. He was
the director for the Center for Engineering Design between 1973 and
2007. He has 170 technical publications, 276 technical invited
presentations, more than 200 patents issued in the U.S., 123 foreign
patents, and 50 trademarks issued. He is the founder of nine
companies (Sterling Research Corp., Raytheon-Sarcos, Sarcos Research
Corp., Micro-Drugs, Inc., Eye-Port Corp., Motion Control, Inc.,
IOMED, Inc., MicroJect Corp., Precision Vascular Systems, Inc.).
impact has been recognized through many national and state awards. He
was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of
Medicine and the National Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. He
won the Leonardo Da Vinci Award from the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, the Pioneer of Robotics Award from the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Utah
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. In 2012, Jacobsen
received one of five “Most Prolific Inventor Awards” by the
University of Utah’s Technology Commercialization Office for having
more than 200 inventions. He was recently honored with the Utah
Genius Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the University of Utah
Innovation and Impact Award. He has held the rank of distinguished
professor in Mechanical Engineering since 1996, research professor
for the Department of Bioengineering since 1983 and research
professor for the Department of Computer Science since 1992. He was
the director for the Center for Engineering Design between 1973 and
2007. He has 170 technical publications, 276 technical invited
presentations, more than 200 patents issued in the U.S., 123 foreign
patents, and 50 trademarks issued. He is the founder of nine
companies (Sterling Research Corp., Raytheon-Sarcos, Sarcos Research
Corp., Micro-Drugs, Inc., Eye-Port Corp., Motion Control, Inc.,
IOMED, Inc., MicroJect Corp., Precision Vascular Systems, Inc.).
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